With Ishan Kishan getting ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy, the East Zone squad has been changed with only 10 days left for the Duleep Trophy to get underway. He was named the captain of the team in the earlier announcement; however, Abhiamnyu Easwaran is now appointed the skipper, while Riyan Parag is named the vice-captain. Interestingly, Parag is also a contender to be picked in the Asia Cup, but after being named the vice-captain of the East Zone, there are murmurs of the all-rounder missing out from India's Asia Cup squad.
For the unversed, India's Asia Cup squad is set to be announced on Tuesday (August 19). As for Parag, he last played for India in October 2024 against Bangladesh and missed the South Africa tour due to injury. Overall, he has donned the Indian jersey in nine T20Is, scoring 106 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 151.42 and picking four wickets as well. In his only ODI appearance, Parag scored 15 runs and also accounted for three scalps.
Parag is fighting with three players for one spot
Reportedly, Riyan Parag is fighting for one spot along with three other players - Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar. For now, it seems unlikely that he would edge ahead among the lot as Iyer led Punjab Kings to the final of IPL 2025, while Washington Sundar did well in the recently concluded Test series against England.
Vice-captaincy in Duleep Trophy, a hint at his exclusion?
Moreover, the fact that Riyan Parag has been named the vice-captain of the East Zone team in the Duleep Trophy hints that his Asia Cup spot is in danger. With a lot of competition for one spot and chances of him getting a game also unlikely, Parag might have also been told already to focus on the Duleep Trophy.
East Zone's updated squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Aasirwad Swain (wk), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Riyan Parag (vice-captain), Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Mukhtar Hussain and Mohammed Shami
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